


I'd Take Every Jump For You

by Augurey_Ray



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Astoria is alive, Bisexual Scorpius Malfoy, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Albus Severus Potter, Gen, Horses, Illness, M/M, Muggle AU, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Scorbus, Strangers to Friends, dressage, horse riding AU, jumping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26088727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Augurey_Ray/pseuds/Augurey_Ray
Summary: Scorpius is a dressage rider and spends every second of his free time at the stables. Albus? Albus isn't as much of a fan. One day their paths cross and, well, they have their hurdles.
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19
Collections: Scorbus Fest 2020





	I'd Take Every Jump For You

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Evie for the Beta!

Scorpius watched as the thick raindrops raced each other down the car window. He put his bets on the smallest one and sighed when it gradually became nothing and was beaten by a larger drop. Scorpius turned his attention to the front windscreen and caught the smile his mum sent him in the mirror.

"Are you sure you want to practice in this weather?" Astoria Malfoy asked. Scorpius glanced down at his helmet on the seat beside him.

"It might clear up, " He replied hopefully, turning his attention back to the window. Cotswold weather was unpredictable and you could never tell whether the bad weather would clear up and make way for the sun or if it would just get worse. Scorpius was always hopeful and much to his parents disgust, didn't mind getting soaked if he could get some good practice in. Plus not many people were ever using the paddock on days like this so Scorpius almost had free roam of wherever he wanted.

The rain persisted as they pulled into the makeshift car park in front of the stables and Scorpius jumped out, pulling his kit bag with him. His parents didn't follow immediately and it was obvious that they wanted to wait for the rain to ease off. Not many people hung around as Scorpius made his way round to his stable. Juliet, his dapple grey Lipizzan had her head out of the stable door as though she were waiting for Scorpius to visit. Scorpius dropped his bag to the floor beside the door and stroked Juliet’s muzzle as she sniffed at him for food. He slid his hand into his jumper pocket and pulled out an unopened packet of mints. Holding one flat out on his palm, Juliet happily munched on it.

"Not planning on going out in this are you?" Scorpius turned at the sudden voice behind him.

"Hi Emily. I might have a practice while no one else is out." Scorpius said cheerfully, despite the awful weather. Emily's parents owned the stables and riding school that Scorpius attended. She was nice enough but Scorpius didn't speak with her much. "I'm surprised to see you out in the rain." Emily snorted. "My dad's fixing a leak in the barn, Mum's god knows where and Grace went walking the dog with her boyfriend so it's up to me to fetch Bella from the field." She explained. Scorpius nodded hoping it looked like he cared about what she was saying. Emily stepped further under the stable canopy and leant over the stable door as Scorpius walked in and began to groom down Juliet. "Do you like the rain then, Scorp?" She asked.

"I don't mind it until it makes me ill. I catch colds way too easily." Scorpius said. Emily looked like she was thinking for a minute while she eyed Scorpius.

"I should go and save Bella from the rain then but if Grace passes tell her that's where I am." Scorpius nodded and Emily finally left him alone. He waited for the sound of her boots to fade into the rain before letting out a long breath that he hadn't even realised he was holding. Scorpius didn't much like Emily. She'd been flirting with him for longer than he could remember even after he'd come out as bisexual. He'd secretly hoped that might put her off but she was very determined. He preferred to talk to her older sister, Grace. She was a lot kinder to Scorpius and didn't mind when he accidentally went off on a rant. He had noticed that a lot of people didn't appreciate his random conversations but Grace loved engaging in discussions on strange and unusual topics. She was a proper friend and Scorpius didn't have many of those.

He finished the grooming and moved onto the food replenishing. The rain didn't ease off at all and eventually his mum had run round to collect him. Scorpius reluctantly let her pull him away, promising that when it was dry enough he could take Juliet out for an extra long practice.

The rain didn't clear up until Wednesday, three days later and even then it was too dangerous for him to ride. Finally on Saturday Scorpius could get Juliet all geared up for his private lesson. His dressage instructor, Malory, had got him cantering laps before running various movements in a sequence that she had choreographed beforehand. The lesson went by way too quickly and Scorpius would've begged to stay longer if Malory hadn't had another lesson after him.

He was walking Juliet back towards her stable when he stopped just before in confusion. Someone else was stood in front of it with their own horse. Scorpius took a double take to check he wasn't in the wrong place but sure enough, as he inched closer, that was his stable. Feeling slightly peeved that someone here didn't know what they were doing he cleared his throat and the boy turned around. Scorpius wanted to be angry but the bright emerald eyes that met with his reduced him to stutters.

"Umm, I think you've got the wrong stable." He squeaked. The boy opened his mouth to protest but quickly turned back to the stable and read the name before face palming and groaning.

“Oooh I'm so sorry I don’t usually do this. My sister had to rush off so I’m left to clear up.”

“Oh no, don’t worry it’s okay.” The boy turned back to his horse and began to unlock the stable door and pull at the rein. Scorpius helplessly watched him struggle to bribe the horse out.

“Want some help?” He offered. The boy deflated.

“Yes please.” Scorpius smiled and handed him his own lead. The boy stepped to the side and easily pulled Juliet out of the way so there was room for Scorpius to manoeuvre the other horse from the stable.

This horse was very stubborn compared to Juliet. Juliet had always been an easy horse but even with Scorpius' experience this one was particularly difficult. He managed it though and once it was clearly out of the way Scorpius swapped again and closed the door behind Juliet who happily began grazing on her fresh hay that his mum must've organised during Scorpius' lesson.

The boy, awkward and unsure, pulled at his horse again as it refused to budge. Scorpius tried to suppress a giggle and the boy sent him a dry look.

"Would you like me to take her back to the correct stable?" He asked trying exceptionally hard not to laugh at the poor boy. He sighed and nodded.

"If you know where she goes." He sulked, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets.

"You're Lily’s brother right?" Scorpius asked in an attempt at conversation.

"Yeah. Albus, err, Potter."

"I'm Scorpius. Don't feel down. Horses are difficult sometimes." Albus smiled gratefully. Scorpius felt his heart flutter. He knew he was attracted to guys but he didn't think he'd ever met anyone in real life who made him feel this way with looks alone.

"Yeah she's incredibly stubborn. I don't know why Lily left me in charge, I've never even visited before and the stable map in the office makes no sense. My brother's _always_ here I don't know why she didn't make him do it." Albus grumbled.

"Oh! Does your brother ride too?" Scorpius asked, suddenly feeling intrigued. Albus shook his head.

"Only my sister. My brother's dating some girl who works here I think." For once Scorpius was lost for words. The conversation seemed to naturally end and Scorpius didn't think now would be the best time to start ranting about his History project. Until they reached Albus' stable, both boys stayed completely silent.

"You're a good girl aren't you..." Scorpius trailed off, realising he didn't know the horses name yet.

"Hobby." Albus supplied, a faint blush appearing across his freckled cheeks. "My family were going through a Hobbit phase when they bought her. I don't really know what they were thinking." Scorpius nodded.

"Here Hobby. Take a peppermint." The horse gladly took the mint, dripping slobber all over Scorpius' sleeve. He wiped it off onto his jodhpurs and turned back to eye Albus who seemed to stand a good distance from the stable. "So you don't ride at all?" Scorpius asked finding himself feeling slightly disappointed.

"Sometimes I take her out for a hack but not very often. She doesn't like me much so I'm not allowed to go out on my own." Scorpius was about to respond when Grace approached them.

"Albus have you seen- oh Scorp! Hi." Scorpius gave her a small wave as Albus smiled politely, skimming his trainers across the concrete floor.

"Hey Grace." Scorpius smiled.

"I didn't know you two knew each other." She eyed suspiciously them, a beaming smile crossing her lips.

"We don't really. I was just helping Albus with his horse." Grace nodded and smiled at Albus.

"I haven't seen you around before Al. In fact have you ever visited?" She asked. Albus' eyes wandered the yard outside the stable as he took a minute to think. Scorpius noted how uncomfortable he looked. When Albus still didn't answer Grace changed the subject.

"Have you seen your brother around?"

"Umm no? I don't think he's here." Albus shrugged. Grace frowned before patting him on the shoulder.

"Let me know if you see him." She called as she ran off to catch up to a girl who'd just passed by.

Albus and Scorpius talked a little more until Scorpius' phone pinged with a message from his mum.

"Sorry, I have to go but it was really nice speaking to you." Scorpius said awkwardly, not exactly sure how you politely end a conversation with his lack of experience. He was more used to being interrupted. "Umm will I see you around?"

"Maybe." Albus smiled at him for the first time since they'd met.

As Scorpius walked back to the car where his mum was waiting to take him home, Albus came jogging up behind him.

"Incase I don't see you again could I possibly have your number?" He mumbled. Scorpius beamed and he took the phone from Albus' hand. He fumbled over the numbers a few times as the phone was a lot smaller and less advanced than his own but eventually he managed it and named his contact:

_Scorpius 🐴_

Albus sent him a toothy grin and Scorpius gave him a small wave as he climbed into the back of the car. On the journey home Scorpius couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Good lesson?" His mum asked, breaking him from his thoughts. Scorpius nodded simply. "You'll have to speak up darling. I can't see you from here." She teased. Scorpius rolled his eyes. He knew she was watching him through the mirror.

"It was nice to be out in dry weather again." He replied to please her.

"That's good to hear. Meet someone new?" Scorpius buried his face in his hands to hide the blush.

"Something like that."

~*~

Scorpius didn't see Albus for two weeks and was beginning to lose hope when he got a message from an unknown number while on his way to the stables.

**Unknown:**  
**Hey, is this Scorpius from the horse place?**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**That's me! Is this Albus?** _

**Unknown:**  
**Yes! Hi! Sorry I didn't text earlier. I've been quite busy at school but I'm helping my sister all day today and wondered if you had a lesson.**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**I'm actually on my way now and yes, I do have a lesson.** _

**Albus:**  
**Cool! I'll be around all day and I can guarantee that I WILL be bored.**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**Horses are that boring, are they?** _

**Albus:**  
**Yup!**

Scorpius was about to type back a reply when the car pulled up in the car park and his dad gestured for him to get out.

"Have a good day. I'll pick you up around 4." He called as Scorpius eagerly ran across the car park and into the yard. He was getting Juliet tacked up and ready for his lesson when a voice startled him from behind.

"So dressage is really different then huh?" Albus' sister Lily was leaning against the door.

"Umm hey Lily. Is your brother here?" Scorpius had never properly spoken to Lily before and he only felt slightly awkward. Lily shrugged.

"He wandered off a few minutes ago. Do you mind if I watch your lesson? My lesson is straight after and I don’t have much to do while I wait."

"Oh, yeah sure." Scorpius nodded. It wasn’t unusual for people to watch his lessons. Sometimes it was his parents and sometimes Malory forced other dressage riders to study him so it wasn't like he wasn't used to it. The thought of Lily watching was different though but only because of Albus. He wasn't sure why but Scorpius felt an uncomfortable nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach at the thought of Albus seeing him ride. Lily beamed and skipped away as Scorpius led Juliet from the stable and out into the paddock. He was so focused on nailing his routine that he hadn't noticed the small audience of two until they clapped politely as Malory praised him.

"Brilliant job Scorpius!" She cheered, ruffling Juliet’s mane. "I think you're gonna be ready for the Youth Championships next month."

"You think?" Scorpius beamed.

"For sure." Malory smiled once more before calling Lily from the stands. "By the way, Grace wanted to see you after the lesson. I think she's got some things she needs help with." Scorpius nodded and dismounted.

"I always thought dressage was boring but you made it look awesome mate." Albus approached the fence and leant over it.

"Thanks." Scorpius replied shyly. "It's good to see you again."

"And you. So, are you around all day or just the morning?"

"All day. Same as you." Scorpius instantly blushed as he suddenly became very self conscious for remembering every detail of what Albus had texted him earlier. Albus, however, looked elated.

"I'll help you with Juliet if you want. Not really help just watch I guess." Scorpius giggled.

"That would be nice."

Albus chatted as Scorpius untacked Juliet and then followed as he walked her out to the field for some freedom. That was when Grace found them.

"Hey you two!" She greeted cheerfully. Grace was always in a good mood. "I have a few jobs if you're up for it Scorp?"

"Sure, what’s up?" Grace seemed to pause, glancing between the two of them.

"Actually, I might ask James." She decided thoughtfully. "Yes James would better suit this job. Well have fun boys!" She winked at Scorpius before running in the direction of the farm house. Scorpius was pinned to the spot and by the looks of it, so was Albus.

"Okay, well there goes my plans for the day." He chuckled. Albus let out a breathy laugh and continued to stare at the point where Grace had disappeared into the house.

"Umm, I don't know about you but I love a good hack and was kinda hoping you might wanna join me on one later?" Albus asked nervously. "Considering the fact that my family won't let me out alone." He added quickly. Scorpius lit up.

"That sounds really fun! Maybe after lunch once Juliet has had a bit of a break?"

"Sounds good." Albus and Scorpius hung around the yard and helped out a bit. Albus was put on sweeping duty and Scorpius helped some younger kids find helmets that fit them and mount their allocated horses. At lunch Grace invited them to sit in the summer house in the pretty back garden of their large farm house. Albus, Scorpius, Grace, James, Emily, and Lily all huddled inside as a brief but heavy shower of rain battered the windows. It cleared up soon enough and Albus and Scorpius announced their afternoon plan and excused themselves to get ready.

The sun shone warmly on their backs as they ambled along the country road and turned onto the rough bridle path. Once they were far enough from the road Scorpius began to pick up pace and turned to smirk at Albus as he ducked under a tree branch.

"Sorry your little pony is so perfect." He mocked as he attempted to pull Hobby away from the fern growing in the hedgerow for the fiftieth time.

"She's very stubborn isn't she?" Scorpius laughed as Albus gave him a dry look that Scorpius was beginning to become fairly familiar with.

"Lily says she gets it from me. Doesn't make any sense really as I barely spend time with this damn horse." Scorpius turned Juliet around so they were facing Albus and Hobby. After another few attempts at tempting Hobby away from the hedgerow Albus gave up. "I'm done. I'm taking her back."

Albus jumped down and tugged the lead.

"Stop eating that you lazy shit." He scolded. Scorpius frowned.

"Wait, Albus. You can take Juliet if you want." He offered.

"No thanks. I'm quite tired anyway." Scorpius watched as Albus dragged the horse back towards the road.

Back at the stables Grace let Scorpius know that Albus had gone home early and Scorpius spent the rest of the day sulking as he ran out of things to do. In the end Grace forced him to help her and James plant some new flowers in the front garden of the house.

"So you and Al?" She asked when James left to make them tea. Scorpius sighed. He knew she'd wanted to question him on it the second she'd asked for his help.

"I think we're friends. I mean, he went off in a strop earlier."

"I noticed." Grace laughed but her face dropped as she looked at Scorpius who sat miserably picking at the grass. "Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. Albus is very impatient and gets moody over literally anything. Trust me I've known him for a while now." Scorpius nodded.

"I barely know him. I kinda wish he were here more often like me."

"Yeah not much of a horse person but I'm sure he'd like to hang out when horses aren't involved." Grace sent him a cheeky smile. "You should invite him out somewhere. I can tell you want to."

"Okay." Scorpius replied thoughtfully.

Later that evening, Scorpius wished his parents good night before going up to bed and taking his phone out of his bag. There were several notifications but it was a message from Albus that particularly caught his eye. He saved it till last after scrolling through a History group chat and helping to answer a few of his classmates questions. Then, hesitantly, he opened Albus' message.

**Albus:**  
**I'm sorry about earlier.**

It was a simple message.

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**Its fine. Riding isn't for everyone. :)** _

**Albus:**  
**Yeah. I don't think I'll be showing up again any time soon. I lashed out at Grace which made my brother have a go at me so I drove home early.**

Seizing his opportunity to avert the subject, Scorpius asked his next question.

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**You drive?** _

**Albus:**  
**Yeah. I have this truck thing. Its not very exciting but it has a Bluetooth speaker for my music.**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**Sounds cool to me.** _

He left it a couple of seconds before sending his next message.

_**I really enjoyed hanging out with you. Maybe you'd like to do something outside of the stables? Have you got any interests of your own?** _

**Albus:**  
**Ha nope I'm very boring but if you wanted to come round one time I'd love to hang out more.**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**I'd love that and I'm sure you're not boring.** _

**Albus:**  
**You'll see soon enough. How's Sunday afternoon? My family are out at one of Lily’s competitions.**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**Sounds perfect!** _

~*~

Sunday arrived and Scorpius was a bundle of nerves as his mum drove him to Albus' house. He had the address open on his phone in front of him as he gave his mum directions. Albus happened to live in a small village only down the road from the stables. His house was fairly easy to find and as Scorpius approached the doorway to the sandy bricked house he looked back nervously at his mum who sat in the car. She gave him a reassuring nod before he reached out for the door knocker. Albus opened almost immediately and beamed when he saw Scorpius stood awkwardly on the door step.

"Scorpius, hi!" He said. He was a lot more cheerful than Scorpius had seen him before. Albus waved enthusiastically to Scorpius' mum before pulling him inside by the wrist. The house was your typical country cottage and although it was very different from Scorpius' he found himself already loving the whole aesthetic.

"Want a drink?" Albus asked, breaking Scorpius from his thoughts.

"Oh, umm no thanks I'm good."

"Okay." Albus shrugged and took one glass from the kitchen cupboard and Scorpius watched from the doorway as he poured himself a small amount of juice. Then he gestured to the stairs and Scorpius followed him up.

Albus' bedroom was painted a light green and there was an average sized window overlooking the back of the house. Scorpius stared out at the view over the country including the old castle in the distance. Other than that the room was pretty standard. There were books piled on a small desk as well as some random art supplies including pencils and paints. There were some pictures of Albus with a girl and people Scorpius recognised as his family. Scorpius felt a small vine of jealousy find its way into the pit of his stomach.

"Who's this?" He asked, taking the photo with the girl from the desk.

"That's my cousin, Rose. She's kinda the only friend I have. I'm not very popular at school." Scorpius felt his cheeks flare with embarrassment.

"She looks nice." He replied lamely. Albus groaned loudly behind him as he placed the picture back down.

"Oh boy not you too." Scorpius gave him a confused look. "Everyone is always crushing on her. They constantly use me to get to her. She's never even interested in relationships anyway."

"Oh no thats not- nope I don't exactly, fully, completely swing that way-." If Scorpius' cheeks could get any redder they would have. A look of realisation passed over Albus' features. He decided to avert the conversation as quickly as possible. "These are cool." He said as Albus joined him by the window.

"Oh yeah. Just some experimenting with landscapes really." They were looking at the small watercolour paintings lined along the windowsill. Each one was an experiment of the wide fields outside. "I specialise in cartoons normally but my art teacher at school said I needed to do something outside of my comfort zone and I've actually really enjoyed painting them."

"They're really good." Scorpius marvelled as he picked up the one furthest along. It was of the castle and he held it up to compare it with the view. Albus took a sip of his drink. It was obvious he didn't enjoy compliments as he changed the subject.

"I've never actually visited the castle but I think there's someone famous buried there."

"Catherine Parr." Scorpius informed him, barely giving Albus time to finish. Albus smirked and turned away.

"I've actually been drawing a few things when I've been up at the stables too." He pulled open a drawer and flicked a few pages of a sketchbook open. Scorpius gasped at the pencil sketches. They were horses, most jumping but Scorpius recognised a few that looked like they could be from one of his lessons.

"These are awesome Albus!" Scorpius began to flick through some other pages when Albus reached out and snatched the book away.

"I don't think there are any more." He said quickly, holding the book close to his chest. "Do you want to go outside?"

"Sure." Scorpius shrugged off Albus' strange behaviour and followed him back downstairs.

It was a pleasant day and they ended up sitting in a swing seat in the Potters garden, licking at ice cream and chatting about anything and every topic that entered their heads.

"So you like history?" Albus asked after Scorpius' phone buzzed for the fiftieth time that hour.

"Yeah. I'm so sorry I'll switch it off."

"You don't have to." Albus seemed to blush and look down at his shoes as he scuffed them across the stone patio.

"Already done." Scorpius sung as he pocketed his phone and leant against Albus. Albus took a quick breath of surprise as Scorpius fell against his side. They sat together in silence, watching the blazing sun flicker through the branches of a tall rowan tree

There was a sudden clatter from inside the house and the sound of someone yelling before a grey cat leapt out of the door and hurried across the garden towards them. Albus jumped from the seat just in time as the cat threw itself at him. The force of which Albus had gotten up from the seat caused Scorpius to swing back and narrowly miss hitting his head on a hanging basket behind it. There were a few more voices and Albus sighed as he recognised them as his family returning home.

"Albus?!" Lily yelled through the house and Albus beckoned for Scorpius to follow him inside. "Al-" She almost carted into them as they stepped over the threshold.

"Hey Lily."

"Albus! Guess who got second place!" Lily squealed, brandishing a silver medal with a blue ribbon.

"That's awesome, Lils! Well done." Albus pulled her into a fleeting hug, the cat hissed and gave Albus a look of betrayal before running away again. Lily's eyes landed on Scorpius just behind. He smiled kindly and gave her a thumbs up.

"Scorpius! I didn't know you were coming round!" She bounced over to Scorpius and held out her medal. "You'll appreciate this more than he will." She beamed, gesturing vaguely to Albus who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Scorpius took the medal to give it a closer examination.

"This is really nice Lily. Malory will be extra proud."

"Oh she was." Lily said with a smug smile. Then she leant in to whisper. "I don't think she expected it really." From behind them, Albus cleared his throat.

"Alright stop flirting Lily. We're about to go out anyway so-"

"Out where?" Albus' dad, Harry, walked out from the kitchen, hands in pockets as he eyed them suspiciously.

"We're gonna drive up the hill for a bit of peace and quiet from all of you." Albus replied impatiently. Scorpius could feel himself blushing from all the attention they were getting and he sent Harry a brief wave in greeting.

"Alright but don't be gone too long. You have school tomorrow."

"Thanks dad!" Albus seemed to cheer up considerably at his dads permission and, taking his keys from a small pot by the door, grabbed Scorpius' hand and pulled him past Harry and outside.

Once the door had closed behind them, Albus took a deep breath and began to walk down the path, towards the road.

"Sorry about that. We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Oh, no it's fine. I'm actually a little intrigued about this truck of yours." Scorpius teased, elbowing Albus in the side.

"Prepare for disappointment." Albus laughed as he turned the key in the door and held it open for Scorpius to climb in. Then, he shut the door and walked round to the drivers side. The front of the truck had a long seat that you could probably fit about four people in altogether. Scorpius peered behind him to look out of a thin window that overlooked the open back of the vehicle.

"This is pretty fancy to be honest." Scorpius commented as Albus turned the truck around and began to drive them out of the village.

"I can agree it's nice for second hand. My parents wanted something that could tow a horse box and in the end we got a good deal." Albus shrugged. "And since James doesn't drive they said I could have it anytime they weren't using it."

"I've never even thought about driving. I'm always too busy riding." Scorpius said.

"Horses take a lot of your time up huh?"

"Yep." They settled into a comfortable silence as Albus concentrated on the road and Scorpius took his phone out again and began scrolling through his messages.

"So where do you live?" Albus asked suddenly, nervously stumbling over his words. Clearly the silence hadn't been quite as comfortable for him.

"I live in the middle of the town on the other side of the hill. My dad likes to be close to work. I prefer it out here though." Albus nodded as he turned into a gravel car park.

"I think our dads work at the same place. He mentioned it when he caught me messaging you." Albus' cheeks were very pink and he seemed relieved to escape the confinements of the truck. The jump from the seat was higher than Scorpius remembered when he'd climbed in and he landed very ungracefully on the ground. Albus snickered and Scorpius quickly flipped him off the next time his back was turned.

The two boys headed up the hill and sat down in the grass beside a small tree as the sun set rapidly. The view from the hill overlooked the racecourse which became more noticeable as it got darker and the course lit it up with bright white light. Albus shivered and pulled his hood over his head, plunging his hands into his hoodie pocket.

"Bet you'll be riding there in no time." He said, nodding his head towards the racecourse.

"I do dressage Albus. I don't think so." Albus shrugged.

"You're very good though. I'm sure you'll get far with whatever dressage involves." Scorpius was mildly aware of Albus shuffling closer and leaning his head against his shoulder. Scorpius froze, unable to decide what to do with his hands. He settled with one around Albus' shoulder and Albus relaxed slightly at the contact.

"What is it you're working towards anyway?" He yawned.

"I've got the championships in a few weeks." Scorpius replied. His stomach filled with butterflies at the thought. He'd been training for almost a year for the Youth Championships and now that it was fast approaching his nerves seemed to be kicking in.

"Are you nervous?" Scorpius nodded. "Don't be. You're amazing." Albus snuggled closer to his side and closed his eyes intently.

"What about you Albus?" Scorpius asked, his hand roaming to Albus' hair absentmindedly, brushing the soft strands of his fringe between his fingers.

"I'm boring compared to you."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Really? Dressage isn't exactly something the everyday person does." Albus scoffed.

"I guess so." The sky had grown darker over the last couple of minutes and several stars had become visible between the clouds.

"Scorpius." Albus whispered. Scorpius hummed and glanced sideways to look at him. "You're named after the constellation right?"

"Yeah. My family's weird with names."

"No, I like it." Albus' words slurred together as he sleepily leant more and more of his weight against Scorpius. "And I really like you, Scorpius." Scorpius' hand froze in his hair but Albus didn't seem to notice. He was smiling to himself and Scorpius couldn't help but smile too.

"You know..." Albus continued. "I've never been very good at making friends outside of my family. You're probably the first person to actually want to talk to me." There was a note of sadness in his voice and Scorpius tightened his grip around Albus' shoulders.

"I'm the same."

"Really?" Albus sat up so their faces were almost level with each other. "But your phone and-"

"Just people who tolerate me. I'm pretty sure I'm only in that group chat because I can answer their questions. I'm just the nerdy boy with the stupid name." Albus frowned and reached out a hand, stroking a piece of Scorpius' hair from his eyes.

"Well we can be stupid name buddies together." Albus smiled. They stared into each others eyes for a second before Scorpius' phone rang and they jumped apart. Scorpius took it from his back pocket and frowned.

"It's Grace." He said hesitantly. Albus stared straight out over the hill as not to seem intruding. "Hello?"

"Scorpius! You're not busy are you?" Grace asked.

"Umm depends. What's wrong?"

"Please don't panic but I don't think Juliet is okay. She was acting strangely in the field earlier so I kept watch and she sort of- I don't know but my dad's gonna have a look over her now."

"Okay. I'll be there. Give me ten minutes." Scorpius said as he got to his feet. Albus followed and as Scorpius ended the call he started on a sprint back towards the car park.

"Can you drive me to the stables please?" He called behind him. Albus ran to catch up.

"Of course. Is everything okay?"

"I'll explain in a minute." They both jumped into the truck and Albus started up the engine immediately. "I'm gonna call my parents." He said as more of a warning to Albus.

The phone rang several times before Scorpius' mum picked up.

"Hello darling, are you okay?" She asked.

"Mum, it's Juliet. Grace called and told me she's fallen ill and it doesn't sound good. Albus is driving me there now if you could meet us there?"

"Of course we're coming now." Scorpius could vaguely hear his dad in the background before his mum hung up. He sighed and Albus' hand stretched out to rest on his knee.

"It'll be okay." He whispered. Scorpius covered Albus' hand with his own and squeezed tightly.

They pulled up at the stables and Scorpius peered around in the dark.

"I don't think my parents are here yet." He let out a shaky breath.

"Hey." Albus shuffled closer and took his hands. "Everything will be fine. I'm sure of it." Scorpius shook his head to prevent himself from crying. He then stared into Albus' eyes. Albus' bright green eyes that, although he hadn't known very long, he had so quickly fallen in love with. Without thinking he pressed his lips to Albus'. It as very quick and he pulled back almost immediately.

"Thank you." He whispered before flinging the door open and sprinting to the stables.

There was a gentle glow of a light coming from Juliet’s stable and Scorpius took a deep breath before announcing his presence. He cleared his throat and Grace spun around.

"Scorp!" She beckoned him forward and he knelt down in the straw beside Juliet as Graces dad stood up from examining her.

"Is she going to be okay? What's wrong with her?" Scorpius half shouted at him. Graces dad rubbed a hand over his eyes before replying.

"It's Tetanus. She'll be okay eventually but it could take a good couple of months to regain her full strength."

"Okay." Scorpius sighed. "Okay. This is okay." He reached out to stroke Juliet’s muzzle gently. She leant into his touch and Scorpius curled up beside her. Grace stood in the doorway watching sympathetically. "My parents are on their way."

"How'd you get here?" She asked curiously.

"Albus." Scorpius sniffed. "We were hanging out when you called." Grace tried to hide her smile but Scorpius caught it anyway. "I may have kissed him." Grace looked like she was about to respond when Scorpius' parents rounded the corner. He filled them in on what was wrong and Grace supplied them with hot drinks as they sat around the draughty stable.

"Scorpius, honey we should really get you home." His mum ran a hand through his hair as he lay against her shoulder. "You have school tomorrow and it's already late." Scorpius glanced between Juliet and his mum with wide tearful eyes.

"I- please mum. You know I don't like to leave her." Astoria and Draco Malfoy shared a a look over their sons head. It was a short and silent conversation but Astoria seemed to nod and squeeze Scorpius' shoulder.

"You can stay in the house if you don't want to be too far away." Grace shrugged as she appeared back in the doorway. "Sorry, I just came to check you were okay." Scorpius felt unsure for a moment but he supposed being a moments walk from the stable would be better than driving home.

It took a lot of persuasion but Scorpius' parents finally gave in and agreed that he could stay overnight. He promised Grace that he'd meet her back at the farmhouse once he'd sorted that Juliet had plenty of food and water.

~*~

Scorpius' neck was stiff and he had to squint to see anything from the sunlight. It was surprisingly warm despite the time of year. Reaching out his arm to stretch Scorpius checked his wristwatch.

"5:45." He mumbled to himself, blinking the last of the sleep from his eyes.

"You're right there." Scorpius was startled by the voice of someone sat a little away from him. As he turned his head he noticed Albus, leant against the stable wall with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a steaming cup of coffee in his hands.

"Albus?" Scorpius asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yep. I've come to drive you to school and make sure you don't freeze." Albus gave him a pointed look and Scorpius sighed.

"I know. I fell asleep."

"You're lucky no one realised. It was only until I turned up and saw you just lying here in the cold."

"Juliet gives off a lot of body heat." Scorpius attempted a smile but Albus' expression stayed stoney. He pulled the blanket further up to his neck and shivered slightly. He didn't remember falling asleep with the blanket. Maybe Albus had given it to him when he'd arrived. Albus only shook his head and began to stand up.

"Come on. I'll put the heating on in the truck." Scorpius hesitated and twisted to see Juliet, her head rested on the floor beside his foot where he leant against her back.

"I'm not sure." Scorpius sniffed. Albus immediately softened and shuffled closer.

"She's going to be fine. You know that. Grace will look after her. Emily will keep watch over her. There're plenty of people here to see that she's okay."

"I know it's just," Scorpius paused to take a deep breath. "I've had Juliet since she was a foal. Whenever I was younger and she got ill I would sleep in the stable with her. My grandparents used to live in a really big country house and she used to be kept there until they died and we moved into our own smaller house in town." He explained. Albus listened closely. "It's just difficult. I don't want to leave her."

"Look, I can drive you to school, you can get through all of your lessons and then I'll pick you up after and bring you straight back here." Scorpius considered it. His dad would probably disown him if he knew he'd skipped school and maybe he'd even take a liking to Albus if he knew he'd been the one to persuade him.

Scorpius wasn't sure what they were. They hadn't even spoken about the fact that Scorpius had kissed him. It was like some silent and unspoken tension between them that Scorpius wasn't in the mood to bring up.

"What about my uniform and my books?" Scorpius asked.

"I've got you a uniform. James used to go to the same school before he moved to where I'm currently at. As for books," Albus cut off, thinking. "Can you come up with an excuse?"

"There would probably be time to stop by my house. It's on the way to school. I can quietly let myself in just to grab them. My parents don't usually wake up this early." Albus nodded.

"Sounds good."

~*~

Once Scorpius had arrived at school the day seemed to move in slow motion. His lessons were painfully boring and he tried to stay as antisocial as possible. Not many people ever wanted to speak to him anyway so it wasn't hard. At lunch he settled down in a quiet courtyard and checked his phone. There was only one message and it was from his mum. Scorpius responded to let her know what was happening and that he _was_ at school and there was nothing to worry about. Just as he was packing away his books to prepare for his final lesson his phone buzzed again.

**Albus:**  
**Hey, how is everything? Still want me to drive you to the stables later?**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**It's alright. Yes please that would be great!** _

Scorpius quickly pocketed his phone as the bell rang and for the majority of his final lesson his mind was continuously roaming to Albus.

~*~

The gentle acoustic music that drifted from Albus' truck caught Scorpius' attention immediately. He turned to his 'friends' (more like acquaintances) from History to say goodbye.

"Ooh is that your boyfriend?" Polly snickered as Scorpius gestured to where Albus had parked almost right outside the gates. Polly always liked to tease Scorpius for his love of history. Now, it seemed that she'd moved onto teasing him about Albus after seeing a picture of them together on Instagram. Scorpius sighed and playfully pushed her in response. She let out a gleeful laugh before waving goodbye and dashing to catch up with her other friends. He honestly didn't know what he and Albus were yet.

Awkwardly, Scorpius opened the door of the truck and pulled himself into the passengers seat. Albus, who had been vigorously typing on his phone, glanced up and gave him a bright smile. As he started up the engine he asked,

"Good day?"

"Average." Scorpius replied. "This uniform is definitely a bit big though."

"That's because you're a literal stick compared to my brother." Albus laughed. Scorpius nodded in response. He'd never properly grown into his limbs. "Are you sure you're okay?" Albus' expression turned serious very quickly as he chanced a glance away from the road.

"Just a lot to think about I guess." Scorpius mumbled.

Albus sang along to the music and Scorpius attempted to ignore the bubble of happiness he felt at seeing Albus so happy. They abandoned the truck in the car park and Albus walked with Scorpius to the stable. Juliet didn't look like she'd moved much but she did perk up at the sound of Scorpius. He knelt down in the straw to pet her and Albus followed and sat down beside him. Scorpius got the sense that Albus was about to say something but as he opened his mouth Malory appeared in the doorway, holding a clipboard.

"I'm so sorry Scorp." She sighed as Scorpius looked up at her with pleading eyes. Begging for light on this whole situation.

"What's going to happen? Am I still going to be able to compete?" He asked desperately.

"It's hard to tell. The illness could last as long or as little time as it wants and then you'd still need time to build up her strength again before the competition." Malory shrugged. "Of course you could find another horse but you understand how hard that will be. I'm not sure there's any horse here that could match Juliet’s standards." Scorpius physically deflated. There was no chance of that. It was obvious that Malory was only trying to let him down slowly.

"Okay. Well, I guess I could find something else..." he trailed off, wiping at his wet eyes.

"On a lighter note maybe you could have a go at something else. There're plenty of horses here that specialise in jumping. I could pair you up with Lily," she waved her hand vaguely at Albus. "She could definitely teach you a thing or two that will be important when you want to get into collage." Scorpius nodded again.

"Thanks." He muttered as Malory gave him one last sad smile and left. Scorpius sagged against a hay bale in the corner of the stable and buried his face in his hands. Albus moved to wrap an arm around his shoulders.

"She might have a point you know. Maybe being good at something else will help you stick out from the crowd." He said softly.

"It's not that. I just don't want to betray Juliet." Albus let out a breathy laugh.

"You won't be. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Would you?" He directed his question at Juliet who just stared at them, completely non plussed.

"Maybe." Scorpius leant into Albus with a sad sigh. His stomach grumbled loudly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over them. Albus laughed and began to stand.

"Should I go and see if Grace has anything to eat and drink? I think James is around so I can ask him." Scorpius shrugged and Albus leant down and pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaving. Scorpius felt his cheeks heat up. He could tell Albus wanted to discuss what was going on between them but right now that was just another thing on Scorpius' plate. He appreciated Albus being there for him but he also wished he would lay off a little.

Albus returned ten minutes later with some juice and chocolate. He handed Scorpius a chocolate bar with a smile.

"My dad always says that chocolate can make any situation better." Scorpius reluctantly took a bite.

"I'm not sure he's right." Scorpius mumbled. Albus sighed and took a sip of his drink.

"Do you want to talk about something else?" He asked. Scorpius shrugged again, fiddling with the purple wrapper. "How about us?" Albus suggested, his voice lower and quieter.

"What about us?" Scorpius knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't sure what possessed him to be so blunt. Albus furrowed his eyebrows and Scorpius had to look away. It was a good look on Albus he couldn't deny that.

"Umm, well," Albus suddenly looked nervous. "We kinda kissed. Yesterday."

"Hmm." Scorpius didn't know what to say.

"Well you kissed me so..."

"I did."

"So?" Albus seemed very hesitant, as though he expected Scorpius to lash out at him. That just made Scorpius more angry.

"Can we not?" He snapped. "I don't need this right now." He'd hoped that Albus might get the message and leave but he only stared up as Scorpius got to his feet. "There's too much to think about and I don't need to deal with maintaining a relationship too!" Albus didn't say anything for a good minute until he stood up, almost eye level with Scorpius.

"Fine." There was hurt in his voice. "You can drive yourself home." Albus pushed passed him and ran from the stable. Scorpius sunk back down onto the hay bale. There were tears in his eyes as he picked up his phone to call his mum.

~*~

Despite the endless hours Scorpius spent at the stables over the next few weeks he didn't bump into Albus once. He only assumed that Albus was avoiding him. Scorpius didn't know why he felt so sad about it. After all, it had been him who'd driven Albus away in the first place. Malory had kept him very busy though. He'd finally relented and decided to take up show jumping as a temporary hobby. She'd had Scorpius try a different horse each lesson to see if he could find one that he felt comfortable riding. So far there had been no luck and this was his last lesson to make a decision. He was lucky there was such a variety of horses to pick from but none of them really matched up to Juliet and none of them probably ever would.

As Scorpius arrived for his lesson he checked the chart on the wall of the small office. His name was third on the register and he followed across with his finger to read the horses name.

_Scorpius Malfoy - Hazel - Stable 6._

He hadn't heard of Hazel before and almost felt intrigued for the first time since he'd started his new lessons. Scorpius wandered through the yard and crossed into a separate set of stables. This was where the horses owned by the family were kept. It was a lot older than the public area. In fact, Scorpius wasn't sure he'd ever been round here before and suddenly felt like he was intruding. When he reached the stable labelled with a large silver 6 a sizable horse approached to greet him. She had a dark silky coat and black mane. Scorpius was surprised at the sight of her. Hazel was Graces horse. He'd seen her riding her multiple times. There wasn't much time to dwell on it as Scorpius checked his watch and realised his lesson would start in five minutes and Hazel wasn't even tacked up yet. He rushed to find everything he needed and only arrived two minutes late.

"Last choice." Malory smiled. "Then you'll have to make a decision."

"I know." Scorpius sighed. "I'm not sure. It's difficult."

"Well, I think you're gonna really like this one." Malory winked as she patted Hazel’s muzzle. "Now hurry up and run some laps for me. I want to get you jumping a little higher today."

Riding Hazel was like a breath of fresh air. She obeyed easily and never missed a single jump. Together they managed two feet and eleven inches with no more than four faults. Overall Scorpius felt very comfortable with Hazel and it seemed she felt the same.

"That was amazing Scorp!" Lily yelled from the stands. She'd been observing him and giving him tips for most lessons.

"It sure was." Malory agreed. "I think Hazel might be the one." She smiled.

"I think you're right." Scorpius beamed. He hadn't felt this satisfied with a lesson since Juliet had fallen ill.

"You're definitely up for Nationals. I think you'll be good for Novice." Malory smirked as she noted something down on her clipboard.

"Really? You think I'll be ready?"

"Of course. You'll breeze through it if you continue to ride like you did today."

Scorpius left to return Hazel to the appropriate stable feeling elated and after such a good lesson he offered her one of Juliet’s mints.

"Someone looks happy." Scorpius laughed as Emily came to stand beside him. He was about to respond when she continued. "So I heard you and Albus broke up."

"We were never officially together." Scorpius was used to Emily's annoying interest in his personal life. He usually brushed it off when there was nothing to tell but this time she knew more than he'd have liked.

"Really?" Emily's eyes lit up but she attempted a nonchalant expression. "You two seemed very close the last time I saw you together."

"Yes well-"

"So how about you and me go for a hack later. We haven't spent quality time together in _ages_." Emily had moved closer and placed her hand on Scorpius' arm.

"Uh," He stumbled over his words as she stared at him expectantly. "I have a lot of school work to be catching up on. I'm actually going home after this." Emily's smile dropped and she edged away.

"Okay. Maybe another time?" Before Scorpius had the chance to reply they were joined by Grace.

"So," She smirked. "How was Hazel?"

"Brilliant." Scorpius jumped excitedly. "Really amazing but..." He trailed off. Grace raised her eyebrows in question. "But why aren't you riding her?"

"I've decided to take a break to focus on college. She needs someone who can keep up with her and I think you're perfect." Grace explained.

"Thank you. She's definitely perfect for what I need right now. If only she could do dressage." Grace reached out to pat his shoulder. Then she turned to shoo her sister away.

"Dad wanted to see you back at the house." Emily gratefully scurried off, her cheeks burning red. "Are you okay?" Grace asked as they walked round to the barn, a far enough space to know that Emily wouldn't be listening in.

"I guess. I'm better now that I know I've got Hazel."

"No. I'm talking about Albus." Grace was looking at him sternly. "James said he's been moodier than usual and he won't talk to him about it."

"Yeah, we kinda fell out." Scorpius focused his gaze on his boots.

"How long have you been keeping this secret?"

"About three weeks?" Scorpius said guiltily. Grace softened.

"You know you can talk to me about anything. I love you like a brother Scorp and I hate to see you like this."

"What advice do you have?" They settled down on a hay bale in the barn and Grace wrapped a reassuring arm around Scorpius.

"Text him. Ask to meet up so you can explain yourself." Scorpius peered at her through his fringe. "It sounds like he's refusing to come here so you might as well text him. I can tell you what to write if you want?" She suggested.

"No. I need to do this on my own." Scorpius' mum pulled up in the car park opposite them and he jumped up, pleased to be escaping.

"Good luck then." Grace smiled and waved as he clambered into the back seat.

~*~

Later that night, after finishing any homework for the following week, Scorpius sat down in bed and took out his phone. There was a message from Grace and another from Emily.

**Grace:**  
**Have you texted him yet?**

Scorpius decided to ignore both of them, not even bothering to open Emily's and wasted no time in opening his last conversation with Albus. He hesitated as he glanced over the last messages they'd sent.

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**Hey. Can we talk?** _

Albus replied almost immediately.

**Albus:**  
**Sure. What do you need?**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**Can we meet up? I want to talk in person.** _

**Albus:**  
**Okay.**

_**Scorpius:** _  
_**I'll give you my address. Come round mine after school tomorrow. I'll tell my parents we're doing work. They won't mind.** _

**Albus:**  
**I'll be there.**

~*~

When the door bell rang the next afternoon Scorpius jumped down the stairs to answer it. He'd been awake all night working out exactly what he wanted to say to Albus but all of that evaporated when he opened the door and saw him stood on the doorstep.

"Hey." Albus smiled weakly. He seemed to have shrunk into himself. His hair flopped further into his eyes as his hood hung loosely from his head and his hands fiddled anxiously with the toggles of his hoodie. Scorpius, breathless from the stairs, opened the door a little wider and beckoned Albus further inside. They managed to sneak past the kitchen where Draco and Astoria were having a heated debate about something Scorpius didn't much care for and Scorpius lead the way to his bedroom.

It was a pleasantly spacious room with a large window and small terrace balcony that Scorpius had decorated with various plants. Albus took great interest in examining them as Scorpius sank down awkwardly on the bed. Finally Albus let out a deep breath and turned to face him.

"How have things been?" He asked, his voice bland and bored.

"Alright. I've started jumping with Lily." Albus nodded. This surely wouldn't be news to him but he'd asked so Scorpius shrugged it off. "Albus?" He asked quietly.

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry. I was upset I-" Albus inched closer and perched uncomfortably on the bed next to him. Scorpius pulled his legs up and arranged himself cross legged opposite Albus.

"No, please. I was pushing you when you were already stressed. It was my fault." Albus exhaled slowly and gazed into Scorpius' eyes with his own soft emerald irises. "I just really like you is all." He shoved his hands back in his pockets and looked away, beat red. Scorpius, feeling a little dazed, reached out to touch Albus' knee.

"I really like you too and I've missed seeing you at the stables."

"Really?" Scorpius nodded in confirmation.

"I know you don't like horses but I can spend more time away from the stables. In fact it would probably be good for me- oof." Albus interrupted his rant by swooping forward, connecting their lips in a hungry kiss. Scorpius responded with equal enthusiasm. Neither of them seemed keen to part but a knock on the door made them jump. Astoria opened the door a second later.

"Hello Albus. Would you two boys like a drink and a snack?" She asked. Albus smiled innocently back while Scorpius found himself out of breath and lost for words.

"Sure, err, we'll be down in a minute." He finally stuttered. Astoria narrowed her eyes suspiciously and nodded before leaving them alone again. Scorpius began to stand from the bed but Albus put out a hand to stop him.

"So? Are we good?" He asked, an anxious smile forming across his lips.

"Yes." Scorpius nodded. "Of course."

Downstairs, Astoria and Draco had quietened down as Albus and Scorpius walked in. They sat down at the kitchen table opposite Draco who was focused on his laptop, a frown etched across his face. Astoria crossed the room and placed four cups of tea and a chocolate bar in front of them.

"You two look like you need it." She smirked at the two boys who both blushed and took sips of their hot tea. Scorpius frowned as the taste touched his tongue. Then he reached across the table and dropped three spoons of sugar into the drink. Albus paused with his mug to his lips before lowering it and raising his eye brows at the boy beside him.

"Seriously?" Scorpius looked at him blankly. "How can you drink that?"

"Scorpius has a rather big sweet tooth." Astoria laughed and ruffled her sons hair as she sat down opposite them. Scorpius attempted to dodge her hand but ended up bumping into Albus who only laughed and pushed him away playfully.

"Anyway, how have you been Albus? We haven't seen you around the stables recently." Astoria asked.

"Hmm, I've been busy." Albus tried to avoid answering but it was obviously helpless.

"Scorpius tells me you're an artist."

"Yes, well I do like painting and drawing. I guess you could say I'm an artist." Albus mumbled. Astoria hummed in response and curled her hair around her finger absentmindedly.

"Draco, honey, will you stop working for ten minutes and take time to get to know your son’s friend." She gave her husband a pointed look to which he sighed and shut the laptop to take a sip of his own tea. He wore a stony expression as he watched the boys expectantly. Scorpius glanced at Albus who was swirling the contents of his mug around, obviously trying to avoid eye contact. Scorpius suddenly felt extremely anxious. He still wasn't sure what they were. Boyfriends? Did Albus even want that. As for telling his parents, Scorpius didn't mind telling them. They wouldn't have a problem with it but he suddenly found himself very conscious of what Albus would want.

"Umm mum, can I quickly talk to Albus in private?" Scorpius asked. Astoria looked surprised.

"Sure." She waved her hand to dismiss him and Scorpius wasted no time in grabbed Albus' wrist and pulling him across the hallway and into the living room. He shut the door and spun round to face Albus.

"I'm sorry, this is awful you don't have to stay. I can make an excuse for you."

"Scorpius. Stop apologising for everything. It's fine."

"But-" Albus pulled Scorpius into a hug and he instantly felt himself relax. "I guess I'm just confused. We've barely had time to work out what all of this is and they're already suspicious." Scorpius sighed. Albus led him to the sofa and sat him down, gripping his hands tightly.

"We can work it out now?" He shrugged.

"I'm not sure. What do you think?"

"I think," Albus began. "That I really really like you and I've never felt like this towards anyone else ever. So I think I'd like you to be my boyfriend. If you'll have me." Scorpius swallowed over a lump in his throat. He wasn't sure where Albus had gotten this sudden burst of confidence from but he didn't dislike it.

"Okay. Yeah. I'd like to be your boyfriend." Scorpius couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"Do you want to tell them?"

"Not yet." Scorpius touched their foreheads together. "Let them wonder."

~*~

After that day Albus came to watch every one of Scorpius' lessons. They'd agreed to attempt a subtle relationship but it was obvious that everyone was suspicious. Malory had started referring to Albus as his boyfriend every time he was mentioned and Grace always made up excuses to disappear anytime Albus approached them. They were doing well until James had caught them making out in the back of the barn and then outed them at dinner the same night. Albus had been fuming and Scorpius received several phone calls of mixed emotions that night as Albus procrastinated how to handle it.

Everything had been fine but Albus tended to overthink things and that's how Scorpius found his poor boyfriend, in tears, on his doorstep. Astoria hadn't questioned anything. She'd made them hot chocolate and let them curl up on the sofa together.

"What's wrong Al?" Scorpius asked, brushing his fingers through Albus' soft curls. Albus sighed.

"I just told them James was right. They were fine with it but I was angry at James and ended up punching him and then they got angry and when me and my parents are both angry we don't mix well." He mumbled. Scorpius pulled Albus closer and they held each other until Albus' tears reduced to muffled sniffs.

Scorpius confirmed their relationship with his parents that same evening much to Astoria’s delight. Draco never made a lot of fuss but always quietly let his son know how much he supported him.

~*~

"Focus Scorpius!" Malory yelled across the paddock after his third fault of the lesson. Scorpius turned Hazel around and trotted across the space towards his teacher, a guilty expression on his face. Albus stifled a laugh from his seat beside Lily who also looked put off by the distraction.

"If your boyfriend is going to become a distraction then I won't let him help out." Malory said, making notes on her clipboard. "Albus you can help Lily get ready for her lesson next." Albus reluctantly followed his sister away as Scorpius went back to correct the jumps he'd faulted only a few minutes previously.

As Scorpius sat with Albus to study Lily’s lesson he tried very hard to concentrate. Albus leant against his arm, obviously bored.

"How long till the competition?" He asked sleepily.

"Two weeks."

"You're gonna be amazing."

~*~

As the day of the competition approached Scorpius became more and more anxious. This wasn't his degree of expertise and despite how encouraging Lily and Albus were, it wasn't helping to calm his nerves.

It was his last lesson before Nationals and also the day that Juliet was signed off as well enough to start riding again. Being so engrossed in making sure Hazel was ready for Nationals, Scorpius hadn't had time to give Juliet his full attention. He'd asked Albus to help him get her out again. He'd gladly agreed and they'd decided to, once again, try a hack.

Albus seemed perfectly happy to take Juliet rather than the very stubborn Hobby and so Scorpius was delighted to finally marvel at the view of his boyfriend so carefree and happy on a horse. It helped that the roads were quiet and they were able to ride side by side, laughing together and enjoying each others company more than anything. Scorpius sighed as the sun warmed his face.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" He asked, voicing the doubts that had been swirling around his head for the last couple of days.

"What?" Albus slowed down slightly so that they were perfectly in line.

"Entering the competition. There will be people way more experienced than me and if I stop now that's more time I can spend regaining Juliet’s strength." When he turned to look at Albus his boyfriend wore a bewildered look.

"You are not backing out now." He said, coming to a stop as they reached a turning for the bridle way that would take them back towards the stables. "You've worked so hard for this. I've witnessed it and who cares if some people have been working towards this their whole life? Malory and Lily seem pretty optimistic in you and if they think you're in for a chance then you're surely in for a chance." Scorpius avoided eye contact. He stared down at his hands, fiddling with the reins.

"I know but..." Scorpius trailed off. He wasn't even sure what the _but_ was but it felt like something holding him back. An invisible string that held him firmly in place, scared of letting him try new things. He'd resisted it until now but it was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

"No buts, Scorpius." Albus fixed him with a stern look that -even though he wasn't looking- Scorpius could feel through the side of his skull. "I've said it before and I _will_ say it again. You are amazing and you are going to be amazing. I believe in you and so does everyone else. Don't let the reason you don't take risks be _you_." Scorpius felt the building tears begin to trickle down his cheeks. Albus pulled him into a hug as best he could from their positions on top of the horses. When they pulled away Albus continued to run a reassuring hand down Scorpius' back.

"Now," He said, a devilish glint in his eye. "I'll race you down this hill." Scorpius let out an involuntary scoff.

"Please, Juliet doesn't _race_. You have no chance!"

"Psh, look at him Juliet. He has no faith in us."

"Fine." Scorpius sat up straighter. "You're on." He smirked before Hazel took off down the hill. Albus cursed as he tried getting Juliet to move any faster than a trot. Scorpius held tightly to the saddle as Hazel made a beeline for the gap in the hedge at the bottom of the hill. He let out a shriek of excitement and fully embraced the feeling of freedom the whole experience brought him. When he finally slowed to a halt he was smiling uncontrollably. Albus eventually caught up with him, a fond look in his eyes as he stared at Scorpius. Scorpius felt breathless as he turned towards him. Albus reached a hand across the space between them to stroke his cheek.

"I would kiss you but I'm not sure I can." He laughed, gesturing to his helmet.

"Fuck that." Scorpius said, taking his helmet off and leaning forward to pull himself closer to Albus.

"Scorpius I don't think this is-" Albus began hesitantly but was interrupted as Scorpius joined their lips. If anyone saw them Scorpius was sure they looked a complete shamble but he couldn't bring himself to care enough.

"Well that was interesting." Albus said as they parted. Scorpius rolled his eyes fondly.

"Come on. The sun is setting and I need to get back before dark."

"Alright alright I don't exactly want your dad murdering me." Albus grumbled. He'd learnt over the last month how serious Scorpius' dad could be.

~*~

Shit shit shit _shit_

It was the day of the competition and Scorpius couldn't stop pacing. Everything he'd ever learnt about jumping had flown out of the window the second Lily had disappeared to do something. Scorpius wasn't sure what. It was a minor detail and all he needed right now was for his brain to focus on the important stuff. His parents had just left to take their seats and Scorpius desperately wished they hadn't. He could do with one of his mums famous pep talks right now.

"Hey." Scorpius stopped pacing at the sound of a familiar voice. Albus had just rounded the corner where Hazel was tied up and ready to go as soon as Scorpius' name was called and Scorpius himself was dressed up in tight jodhpurs and a navy blue blazer. Scorpius' anxiety immediately eased and he dived across the space to hug Albus.

"I've come to wish you good luck. Not that you need it." Albus said as Scorpius refused to let go. "Are you okay?"

"I am now; I'm just worried." Scorpius let go but didn't feel keen on distancing them much more.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"What if I mess up?" Scorpius blurted. It hadn't meant to come out but he couldn't keep much from Albus especially when he was this nervous.

"You won't."

"But just say that I do."

"Then you know that jumping isn't the thing for you and you go back to dressage and doing the things you love. Nothing's going to change if that's what you're worried about. I'm still gonna be here. My love for you is beyond this stupid competition." Albus immediately blushed as he realised what he'd said. Scorpius felt his cheeks redden too and averted his gaze to his boots, biting his lip to contain a smile.

Now that Albus had mentioned it Scorpius felt his brain whirr back into a spiral. This is love, right? _It sure feels like love_ Scorpius told himself. A few announcements caught their attention and forced them to look up and listen.

"I should get back to the stands." Albus sighed scuffing his toes across the hard floor. Scorpius tenderly cupped Albus' cheek with his gloved hand and leant in once more.

"I love you too. For the record." He whispered before giving Albus a kiss just as soft and gentle as his touch. As if Albus was so fragile he'd shatter into a million pieces if Scorpius wasn't careful enough. Albus responded and placed a hand to the back of Scorpius' neck. When they pulled apart Scorpius immediately felt the tension squeeze back up his throat.

"Can't you stay?" He practically begged.

"I wish I could but I want to watch you. You'll be fine once you're out there." Scorpius nodded, trying the convince himself. Albus dug into his pocket and pulled out a small crumple of paper. He placed it into Scorpius' palm and closed his fingers around it as he backed away. "Good luck." He saluted before disappearing from view again.

Lily returned with two bottles of water and handed one to Scorpius. He anxiously crinkled the bottle, much to Lily’s annoyance. He apologised profusely but she dismissed it. Said that she understood. When Lily wasn't paying him attention he risked opening his hand to unfold the paper. Inside was an ink sketch of Scorpius riding. It was unmistakably him. Somehow Albus managed that in such simple art. Something in Scorpius' heart melted as he read the note beside it.

_Scorpius,_

_You're amazing. You've always been amazing and you continue to amaze me with everything you do._

_Love you, Albus. xxx_

Feeling a boost of extra confidence Scorpius chanced a glance around at everyone else waiting like he was. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt more sick when a young man with a clipboard came to tell him that he was on next. Lily went with him to the gate into the arena and wished him luck.

"I'll watch from here. Just stay calm and you'll be fine." Shit advice in Scorpius' opinion but what else could he do. He took a deep breath as his name was announced and Hazel did most of the work from there. All Scorpius needed to do was remember his technique.

It was easy. Every jump felt effortless and as long as Scorpius remembered to hold on, Hazel practically did the rest. After he'd passed every jump with barely any faults he could finally focus on the crowd. Albus' screaming was obvious among the smattering of polite applause from the rest of the audience and it filled him with hope and a new found confidence in himself. Scorpius dared to look at the score board as he guided Hazel around the edge of the arena and back through the entrance. 3 penalties. That was good. That was _very_ good. In fact, Scorpius didn't even think it were possible to do so well.

Still feeling a little stunned, Scorpius jumped from Hazel as Lily helped lead her back into the yard outside. She handed him his water and jumped on him for a hug.

"That was incredible Scorpius!" She squealed. "You've improved so much since you started!"

"I think its mostly Hazel who should be getting credit. I barely did anything."

"Stop being modest." Scorpius' cheeks pinked and he hid behind his water bottle. Lily was called shortly after him and he went to watch her as she had for him. She scored a lot better than him with no penalties at all and seemed very chuffed as she returned. Scorpius' first impressions of Hobby had not been the greatest but seeing her now he thought very differently. Lily proudly fed her an apple in reward and let her lie down in the allocated stable. Scorpius caught her in a hug the second her hands were free.

"You were amazing. I learnt from the best." He smiled when she pushed him away.

"Save all your hugs for my brother will you." She smirked. Scorpius blushed. He hoped the competition would be over soon so that he could finally see his boyfriend. He needed to see Albus' glowing smile, hear one of his sarcastic comments and hug him tightly like the world might end. He needed Albus to understand how much he was appreciated by Scorpius.

"Scorpius?" Scorpius blinked as Lily clicked her fingers in front of his face. He must have sat thinking for a while because she said, "Come on they're gonna announce places." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the gathering crowd of other contestants awaiting the results. Scorpius listened vaguely, his mind still thinking about Albus. He wasn't expecting it when his name was called and Lily’s screams broke him from his trance. Another boy was already stood on the podium and Scorpius quickly joined him.

Second place his medal and rosette read. _Second place._ Scorpius beamed. He'd not been expecting this at all. He had however been expecting Lily to join him and a few seconds later she did. She held her trophy high above her head as she jumped up and down. A loud screaming was coming from the same corner Scorpius had heard Albus' cheers previously and he directed his gaze towards them. His own parents were clapping and smiling proudly, his dad squished against his mothers side as Albus loudly yelled and danced around in celebration. This was a very different aura for Albus but Scorpius decided he liked it.

Further along the row of stands was Grace, James and Malory who looked just as ecstatic as Albus. The winners were gestured to leave the podium and returned back to their stations. Scorpius could only grin as Lily continued to dance around him. He was speechless. Truly speechless. Not just from the surprise of winning but the overwhelming support he'd just witnessed.

There were loud voices and then said support rounded the corner. His parents were first, engulfing him in a tight, pride based hug. Then Grace leapt on him and Malory patted his shoulder.

"You've done good Scorp." She said approvingly. Grace gave him a toothy grin before moving out of the way. Like a bolt Albus was holding onto him, nose buried into his shoulder and arms around his stomach. Scorpius inhaled the sweet scent of Albus' hair as he rested his chin on top of his shoulder. Neither of them said anything. Neither of them made an effort to. They just held onto each other. Eventually Scorpius swallowed down his emotions and managed some words.

"Thank you." He mumbled. Albus hummed in confusion.

"For what?" He pulled away just enough to look into Scorpius' wet eyes. Albus wiped the tears away with his thumb.

"For everything." Scorpius whispered. "For being my light in the darkness!"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a big fan of Scorbus sports aus and I had this idea ages ago and here we are! I really hope you enjoyed. I worked very hard on this and hope that I did it justice.  
> Thank you so much for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated so feel free to let me know what you thought! ✨
> 
> Twitter - @ray_fish_  
> Instagram - @augurey_ray  
> If you wanna say hi!


End file.
